It All Started at The Sugar Lab

The Sugar Lab is almost a decade old now and has worked with some of the coolest chefs from all over the world. But how did it all get started? Today we dig into the archive to learn more about the history of the company--

Our journey started when Kyle and Liz von Hasseln were graduate students in the arts district in DTLA around 2011. They owned an antique Z310 gypsum 3D printer that they used to print architectural models. At some point they wondered—could this system be modified to 3D print sugar?  

Yes, it could! Even the first few simple sugar 3D prints they tried were amazing in their own humble beginnings. The crystalline sugar had a white-translucent glow that was really captivating and defied gravity in ways that didn’t seem possible by conventional techniques. 

We developed the first and only technology able to print complex 3D food objects.

The couple worked hard to develop and patent the idea. In 2012, they founded the Sugar Lab and started designing ornate 3D printed sugar sculptures for pastry chefs worldwide until 2018. By focusing their 3D printing technology on complex, beautiful sugar sculptures in partnership with top-tier chefs, the couple quickly garnered considerable acclaim and helped build a renewed legitimacy for 3D printing within the culinary world.

In the middle of it all, Liz and Kyle teamed up with 3D Systems [link] and Brill to help bring their invention to life. After tons of R&D, the 3D printer they first imagined is finally available as a powerful new tool for the culinary arts.

Although Sugar Lab’s path has been circuitous, the team is excited that we’re finally all back together doing what we love. We believe that great design can slow down time for a minute. It can take a moment that’s commonplace, like sweetening your coffee, and transform it with significance and wonder.